Hypoxia Pre-conditioning and Mountain Sport (Hyx-PRE-Spo)

August 7, 2025 updated by: Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine

Effects of Hypoxia Pre-conditioning on Physiological Responses During Mountain Sport Activities in Persons With a History of Coronary Artery Disease

Mountain sport activities as for example hiking or skiing may involve the risk of adverse health events especially in older people not accustomed to the specific mountain sport at altitude or people with pre-existing health issues. Increased activation of the sympathetic nervous system and abrupt changes in heart rate and blood pressure are thought to trigger these adverse effects. Preventive measures include regular physical activity (i.e. training) and adequate medical treatment. Hypoxia pre-adaptation (e.g., pre-adapt one night at moderate altitude) and pre-conditioning (e.g., intermittent hypoxia (IH) training), which was shown to lead to some favorable sympathetic nervous system, ventilatory and metabolic adaptations and additionally exerts anti-inflammatory action, could be hypothesized of being a further preventive measure. The aim of this research project is to investigate whether intermittent hypoxia pre-conditioning or sleeping one night at altitude (i.e., current recommendation before practicing mountain leisure sports in the elderly) is able to increase oxygen saturation during passive hypoxia exposure and during simulated hiking and skiing at altitude. Additionally, it is aimed to investigate whether such procedure reduces the physiological responses (i.e., heart rate, its variability and blood pressure (including baroreflex sensitivity) responses as well as metabolic, ventilatory, inflammatory and redox responses) during these activities.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
17

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Italy
    • BZ
      • Bolzano, BZ, Italy, 39100
        • Eurac Research

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

50 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Participants will include normally physically active males and females (age 50-70 years; New York Heart Association (NYHA) class I and II) with or without prior myocardial infarction, living <600 m.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Persons with CAD will be excluded if they will not be able to perform light to moderate exercise, or had recent myocardial infarction and/or revascularisation (< 8 weeks prior to inclusion in the study), episode of unstable angina, de-compensated heart failure, life-threatening arrhythmia, ejection fraction < 50%, known symptomatic aortic outflow obstruction, severe hypertension (>180/100 mm Hg), pulmonary hypertension or any other severe systemic non-cardiac disease. Exclusion criteria will additionally include regular smoking of more than five cigarettes per day, regular drug intake, habitual residence > 600 m and one or more overnight stay at > 1000 m during the previous 4 weeks.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Intermittent hypoxia (IH) pre-conditioning

The IH pre-conditioning program will be performed in a sitting position by inhaling a gas mixture with reduced O2 content via face masks.The program will include five sessions per week for 3 weeks. Each session consists of three to five hypoxic (14-10% inspired fraction of oxygen) periods, each lasting 3-5 min with 3-min normoxic intervals.

The control setting includes breathing room air via face mask.
Procedure: hypoxic exposure

Administration of different hypoxic doses.

Intermittent hypoxia:

days 1-5 duration of breathing periods 5*3min (FiO2 14-21%) days 8-12 duration of breathing periods 4*4min (FiO2 = 12%) and 3*3 min (FiO2 = 21%) days 15-19 duration of breathing periods 5*5min (FiO2 = 10%) and 4*3 min (FiO2 = 21%)

one night at 1900m
Experimental: Hypoxia pre-adaptation
The hypoxia pre-adaptation program consists of sleeping 1 night at 1900m. The control setting includes sleeping 1 night close to sea level.
Procedure: hypoxic exposure

Administration of different hypoxic doses.

Intermittent hypoxia:

days 1-5 duration of breathing periods 5*3min (FiO2 14-21%) days 8-12 duration of breathing periods 4*4min (FiO2 = 12%) and 3*3 min (FiO2 = 21%) days 15-19 duration of breathing periods 5*5min (FiO2 = 10%) and 4*3 min (FiO2 = 21%)

one night at 1900m

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Resting oxygen saturation (%) at altitude
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 1.5 years
Resting oxygen saturation changes after the pre-conditioning and pre-adaptation program at 3000 m altitude
Through study completion, an average of 1.5 years
Oxygen saturation during exercise at altitude
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 1.5 years
Oxygen saturation during exercise changes after the pre-conditioning and pre-adaptation program at 3000 m altitude
Through study completion, an average of 1.5 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Heart rate (bpm) responses during rest and during exercise at altitude
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 1.5 years
Heart rate response changes after the pre-conditioning and pre-adaptation program at rest and during exercise at 3000 m altitude.
Through study completion, an average of 1.5 years
Blood pressure (mmHg) responses during rest and during exercise at altitude
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 1.5 years
Blood pressure responses during rest and during exercise at altitude
Through study completion, an average of 1.5 years
Changes of inflammatory markers (i.e., hsCRP) from before to after the pre-conditioning and pre-adaptation program
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 1.5 years
Inflammatory markers may change due to the programs
Through study completion, an average of 1.5 years
Changes of physiological stress markers (i.e., catecholamine) from before to after the pre-conditioning and pre-adaptation program
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 1.5 years
Markers of physiological stress may change due to the programs
Through study completion, an average of 1.5 years
Changes in heart rate variability (HRV) from before to after the pre-conditioning and pre-adaptation program
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 1.5 years
HRV may change due to the programs
Through study completion, an average of 1.5 years
Changes in baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) from before to after the pre-conditioning and pre-adaptation program
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 1.5 years
BRS may change due to the programs
Through study completion, an average of 1.5 years
Changes of markers of myocardial injury (e.g., highly sensitive cardiac troponin T) from before to after the pre-conditioning and pre-adaptation program
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 1.5 years
Markers of myocardial injury may change due to the programs
Through study completion, an average of 1.5 years

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
University of Giessen
Istituto Auxologico Italiano
University of Innsbruck

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Hannes Gatterer, PhD, Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine, EURAC Research

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 1, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
October 31, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
October 31, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
January 8, 2021

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 25, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
January 26, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 12, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 7, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • HYP-P-SP

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Data underlying scientific publications will be stored in open repositories (accessible).

IPD Sharing Time Frame

After publications

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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